scholarly journals Performance on the ROCF at 8 Years Predicts Academic Achievement at 16 Years in Individuals with Dextro-Transposition of the Great Arteries

Author(s):  
Matthew E. Fasano-McCarron ◽  
Jane Holmes Bernstein ◽  
Deborah P. Waber ◽  
Jane W. Newburger ◽  
David R. DeMaso ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: This study examined longitudinal associations between performance on the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure–Developmental Scoring System (ROCF-DSS) at 8 years of age and academic outcomes at 16 years of age in 133 children with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). Method: The ROCF-DSS was administered at the age of 8 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, First and Second Edition (WIAT/WIAT-II) at the ages of 8 and 16, respectively. ROCF-DSS protocols were classified by Organization (Organized/Disorganized) and Style (Part-oriented/Holistic). Two-way univariate (ROCF-DSS Organization × Style) ANCOVAs were computed with 16-year academic outcomes as the dependent variables and socioeconomic status (SES) as the covariate. Results: The Organization × Style interaction was not statistically significant. However, ROCF-DSS Organization at 8 years was significantly associated with Reading, Math, Associative, and Assembled academic skills at 16 years, with better organization predicting better academic performance. Conclusions: Performance on the ROCF-DSS, a complex visual-spatial problem-solving task, in children with d-TGA can forecast academic performance in both reading and mathematics nearly a decade later. These findings may have implications for identifying risk in children with other medical and neurodevelopmental disorders affecting brain development.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Duque de Blas ◽  
Isabel Gómez-Veiga ◽  
Juan A. García-Madruga

Solving arithmetic word problems is a complex task that requires individuals to activate their working memory resources, as well as the correct performance of the underlying executive processes involved in order to inhibit semantic biases or superficial responses caused by the problem’s statement. This paper describes a study carried out with 135 students of Secondary Obligatory Education, each of whom solved 5 verbal arithmetic problems: 2 consistent problems, whose mathematical operation (add/subtract) and the verbal statement of the problem coincide, and 3 inconsistent problems, whose required operation is the inverse of the one suggested by the verbal term(s). Measures of reading comprehension, visual–spatial reasoning and deductive reasoning were also obtained. The results show the relationship between arithmetic problems and cognitive measures, as well as the ability of these problems to predict academic performance. Regression analyses confirmed that arithmetic word problems were the only measure with significant power of association with academic achievement in both History/Geography (β = 0.25) and Mathematics (β = 0.23).


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 2022-2030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Correa-Burrows ◽  
Raquel Burrows ◽  
Yasna Orellana ◽  
Daniza Ivanovic

AbstractObjectiveWe examined the association between unhealthy snacking at school and academic outcomes in students from the Santiago Metropolitan Region (Chile).DesignCross-sectional population-based study.SettingWe measured the nutritional quality of snacks at school using an FFQ, and accounting for the amounts of saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt in the foods, and academic outcomes using national standardized test scores in Language and Mathematics. Multivariate regression analyses modelled the relationship between unhealthy snacking at school (exposure), potential confounders and performance in Mathematics and Language (outcomes).SubjectsRandom sample of 1073 students (13·1 (sd 2·3) years old) attending public, partially subsidized and private schools.ResultsFifty-six per cent of students ate items at snack time that were high in fat, sugar, salt and energy, and thus were considered to have unhealthy snaking. Thirty-six per cent and 8 % were considered to have poor-to-fair and healthy snacking, respectively. Unhealthy snacking significantly lowered the odds of good academic performance in both domains. Students having unhealthy snacks were 56 % less likely to pass in Language (fully adjusted OR=0·44; 95 % CI 0·23, 0·85) and 66 % less likely to pass in Mathematics (fully adjusted OR=0·34; 95 % CI 0·19, 0·64) compared with students having healthy snack items.ConclusionsSchoolchildren eating unhealthy foods at snack time had worse academic performance in Language and Mathematics, as measured by a standardized test. Although association does not imply causation, these findings support the notion that academic and health-related behaviours are linked. More research is needed on the effect of school health programmes on educational outcomes.


Author(s):  
Sari Aaltonen ◽  
Teemu Palviainen ◽  
Richard J. Rose ◽  
Urho M. Kujala ◽  
Jaakko Kaprio ◽  
...  

Background: Both genetic and environmental influences have been shown to contribute to the association between physical activity and overall academic performance. The authors examined whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) shares genetic and environmental variances between spelling, essay writing, reading aloud, reading comprehension, and mathematics in early adolescence. Moreover, they investigated whether genetic polymorphisms associated with physical activity behavior affect these academic skills. Methods: Participants were 12-year-old Finnish twins (n = 4356–4370 twins/academic skill, 49% girls). Academic skills were assessed by teachers, and LTPA was self-reported. Polygenic scores for physical activity behavior were constructed from the UK Biobank. Quantitative genetic modeling and linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: The trait correlations between LTPA and academic skills were significant but weak (r = .05–.08). The highest trait correlation was found between LTPA and mathematics. A significant genetic correlation was revealed between LTPA and essay writing (rA = .14). Regarding polygenic scores of physical activity, the highest correlations were found with reading comprehension, spelling, and essay writing, but these results only approached statistical significance (P values = .09–.15). Conclusions: The authors’ results suggest that reading and writing are the academic skills that most likely share a common genetic background with LTPA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Harding ◽  
Elizabeth Schaughency ◽  
Jillian J. Haszard ◽  
Amelia I. Gill ◽  
Rebekah Luo ◽  
...  

Background: Childhood sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has been linked to poorer academic performance; however, research has not investigated the extent improvement in SDB may alter outcomes across key academic skills. This study aimed to investigate if children's early SDB status could predict later academic outcomes, and if an improvement in SDB status across the early childhood years would coincide with better, later performance in key academic skills related to reading, numeracy, and listening comprehension.Methods: Eighty five case children with an SDB symptom score >25 (maximum 77) were matched to 85 control children (score <12) at recruitment (age 3). SDB severity (symptom history and clinical assessment) was evaluated at ages 3, 4, 6, and 8 years and performance on individually-administered academic skills assessed at age 8 (91% retention from age 3). Case children were categorized into “improved” or “not-improved” groups based on SDB trajectories over the 5 years. Contributions of SDB status and trajectory group to academic performance were determined using regression analysis adjusted for demographic variables.Results: History of SDB from age 3 predicted significantly poorer performance on some key academic skills (oral reading and listening skills) at age 8. Children whose SDB improved (45%) performed better in oral reading fluency than those whose SDB did not improve, but difficulties with specific tasks involving oral language (listening retell) remained when compared to controls.Conclusion: Findings support links between early SDB and worse academic outcomes and suggest key academic areas of concern around oral language. Findings highlight the need for child mental health professionals to be aware of children's sleep problems, particularly SDB (past and present), when assessing potential barriers to children's achievement, to assist with appropriate and timely referrals for evaluation of children's sleep difficulties and collaborative evaluation of response to intervention for sleep difficulties.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-146
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Scott

A Review of: Soria, K. M., Fransen, J., & Nackerud, S. (2017). Beyond books: The extended academic benefits of library use for first-year college students. College & Research Libraries, 78(1), 8-22. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.1.8 Abstract Objectives – To consider the relationship between academic library use and four specific outcomes: academic engagement, engagement in scholarly activities, academic skills development, and grade point average. Design – Hierarchical regression analysis. Setting – A large, public research university in the Midwest US. Subjects – 1,068 non-transfer, first-year students who voluntarily completed the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey. Methods – The SERU survey results were analyzed alongside student data derived from institutional records and 10 library usage variables generated from library systems. Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) method was employed to develop a factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses measured the relationships between independent variables (demographic characteristics, collegiate experiences, and libraries use) and dependent variables (students’ academic engagement, academic skills, engagement in scholarship, and fall semester grade point average). Main Results – Students’ use of academic libraries was reported to have a positive relationship with all four dependent variables, above and beyond those explained by pre-college and collegiate experiences: academic engagement (R2∆= .130, p < 0.001), academic skills development (R2∆= .025, p < 0.001), fall semester grade point average (R2∆= .018, p < 0.001), and engagement in scholarship (R2∆= .070, p < 0.001). Use of books and web-based library resources had the most positive relationships with academic outcomes; workshop attendance and use of reference services had limited positive relationships with academic outcomes; and use of library computer workstations had no significant effects on academic outcomes. Conclusion – Undergraduate student use of the academic library is positively associated with diverse academic outcomes. Although the explanatory power of library use was relatively low, ranging from 1.8 to 13.0 percent of final variance in the dependent variables, library use is nonetheless reported to contribute significantly to academic outcomes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 223 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn H. Kroesbergen ◽  
Marloes van Dijk

Recent research has pointed to two possible causes of mathematical (dis-)ability: working memory and number sense, although only few studies have compared the relations between working memory and mathematics and between number sense and mathematics. In this study, both constructs were studied in relation to mathematics in general, and to mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) in particular. The sample consisted of 154 children aged between 6 and 10 years, including 26 children with MLD. Children performing low on either number sense or visual-spatial working memory scored lower on math tests than children without such a weakness. Children with a double weakness scored the lowest. These results confirm the important role of both visual-spatial working memory and number sense in mathematical development.


Author(s):  
Alberto Quílez-Robres ◽  
Nieves Moyano ◽  
Alejandra Cortés-Pascual

Academic achievement has been linked to executive functions. However, it is necessary to clarify the different predictive role that executive functions have on general and specific academic achievement and to determine the most predictive executive factor of this academic achievement. The relationship and predictive role between executive functions and their components (initiative, working memory, task monitoring, organization of materials, flexibility, emotional control, inhibition, self-monitoring) with academic achievement are analyzed in this study, both globally and specifically in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics, in 133 students from 6 to 9 years of age. The relationship obtained in Pearson’s correlation analysis does not differ substantially between overall achievement (r = 0.392) and specific achievement (r = 0.361, r = 0.361), but task monitoring (r = 0.531, r = 0.455, r = 0.446) and working memory (r = 0.512, r = 0.475, r = 0.505) had a greater relationship with general and specific achievement. Finally, regression analyses based on correlation results indicate that executive functions predict general academic performance (14.7%) and specific performance (12.3%, 12.2%) for Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively. Furthermore, working memory and task supervision represent 32.5% of general academic performance, 25.5% of performance in Language Arts, and 27.1% of performance in Mathematics. In conclusion, this study yielded exploratory data on the possible executive functions (task supervision and working memory) responsible for good general academic achievements and specific academic achievements in Mathematics and Language Arts.


1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 963-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa D. Smith ◽  
Billy L. Smith

The present study examined the relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test for a sample of children with learning disabilities in two rural school districts. Data were collected for 87 school children who had been classified as learning disabled and placed in special education resource services. Pearson product-moment correlations between scores on the two measures were significant and moderate to high; however, mean scores were not significantly different on Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 compared to those for the Basic Reading, Spelling, and Mathematics Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Although there were significant mean differences between scores on Reading and Reading Comprehension and on Arithmetic and Numerical Operations, magnitudes were small. It appears that the two tests provide similar results when screening for reading spelling, and arithmetic.


Author(s):  
Mahama, Inuusah ◽  
Kwaw, Regine ◽  
Mensah, Kwame Jonathan ◽  
Acheampong, Ebenezer ◽  
Marfo, Richard

Aims: This study sought to explore the moderating role of gender in the relationship between creative thinking and academic performance in English Language and Mathematics among Junior High School students in the Aboom Circuit, Cape Coast. Study Design: The design for the study is correlational espousing the quantitative approach. The study was guided by two research hypotheses, which were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Andrew F. Hayes Moderation Process. The instruments for the data collection were Kumar, Kemmler and Holman (1997) Creativity Styles Questionnaire-Revised (CSQ-R) and standardised-type test developed by experts in the various subject areas. Results: The study revealed significant relationship between creative thinking and academic performance of students (English Language: r=.432, n=140, p=0.05, p=.003, 2-tailed; Mathematics: r=.401, n=140 p=0.05, p=0.000, 2-talied). The study further revealed that gender moderated significantly in the relationship between creativity and academic performance (English Language: b=-.276, t=-2.398, CI= -.485, -.088; Mathematics: b=-.300, t=-2.198, CI= -.564, -.070). As such, male respondents had higher creative thinking effect in English Language and Mathematics than female respondents (b=.371, t=4.608, CI [.212, .530; b=.219, t=2.286, CI [.030, .407]). Conclusion: Creative thinking indeed relates to performance, as such, it was recommended  that creative thinking should be nurtured among all students in J.H.S. In addition, stakeholders in education should consider including creative thinking in the curriculum and pay special attention to nurturing creative think in female students so that they could match up with their male counterparts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-59
Author(s):  
Onyekwere Nonye Adamma ◽  
Okoro Pauline Ekwutosim ◽  
Eugene Chukwuemeka Unamba

The study investigated the influence of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on pupils’ academic performance in mathematics. Based on the purpose of the study two hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of all 3056 primary six pupils in Owerri Education zone of Imo State.  A Sample size of 200 primary six pupils was selected for the study.   Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting four schools out of the nine schools. The instruments used for data collection was Academic Motivation Scale and Mathematics Achievement Test. The validity was determined by two experts in measurement and evaluation and one expert in mathematics education. The instruments have reliability coefficient of 0.89 and 0.92 determined using tests-retest method. Data generated were analyzed with the aid SPSS version.  Inferential statistics of t-test and Pearson product moment correlation were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study concludes that motivation improves academic performance of the pupils and there is a gender difference in motivation type and academic performance. 


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